Bottle washing machine



April 1935. w. POWLEY BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 29, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 rid //VV/V7'0/?. WALTER POWLE v.

April 2, 1935. OWLEY 1,996,214

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 29, 1932- 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3.

' IN VENTOR.

WALTER POWLEY. BY

ATTORNE Y.

April 2, 1935. w. POWLEY 1,996,214

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Filed Spt. 29, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 PowLEv.

Afro/Mi).

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 //VVENTOR.

W. POWLEY BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Flled Sept 29, 1932 Eu r- April 2, 1935.

April 2, 1935. w. POWLEY BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 29, 1952 JZQT'Z 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 HEI- /NVENTOR. B WALTER POWLEY.

flTToRrvEY.

Patented Apr. 2, 1935 BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE Walter Powley, Sunderland, England, assignor to Robert Powley & Sons Limited, Sunderland, l England, a British company Application September 29, 1932, Serial No. 635,441 In Great Britain October 6,1931

8 Claims. (Cl. 141-7) The invention relates to bottle washing machines, and more particularly to machines of that kind in which the bottles are carried by a conveyor stepwise over jets which are adapted at each pause in the travel of the conveyor to direct a stream of liquid, such as water and/ or scouring liquid into the interiors of the bottles.

In certain machines of this kind there are provided a series of transversely arranged jetting tubes each having a series of jets, one for each bottle, and said tubes are periodically raised so that the jets enter the flared ends of nozzles carried by the conveyor and projecting into the bottles, a liquid tight joint between said jets and nozzles being temporarily provided during each jetting period as by rubber washers on the jets engaging the nozzles.

This arrangement has the disadvantage that it entails 'a joint for each jet, and inpractice it is difiicult to ensure perfection of all the joints simultaneously. V

One object of the invention is to reduce to a minimum the number of such joints in these machines, and further to providemeans whereby the jetting tubes may be flushed out periodically by causing water to pass therethrough, this being advantageously effected after rinsing with scouring liquid, when foreign matter is liable to choke the tubes and jets.

The'invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,'in which Fig. l is a front sectional elevation, of one con-' Fig. '7 is an end view of the machine shown in part in Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring firstly to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bottles are shown as supported in known manner by carrier barsa supported by the conveyor chains b and provided with rows of apertures a in which the bottles are carried in inverted position as they pass through the machine.

Beneath the bars a, and also carried by the conveyor chains, are the jettingtubes each of which is provided with a row of nozzles c which project into the interiors of the bottles; the bars a and tubesc areinterconnected at op posite ends by bolts and distance pieces (1 At one end" of each tube on the underside thereof, is a downwardly extending stub d forming the inlet to the tube.

Underneath the tubes 0 is a frame e carrying the header presenting a series of upwardly directed discharge heads g, the latter being spaced apart in accordance with the spacing of the inlet stubs d and adapted to make a liquid tight joint with said stubs with the aid of rubber 5 or other suitable jointing means h, so that a plu rality of the tub-es 0 corresponding to the number of discharge heads g are brought into fluid connection with the header. At the other end of each jetting tube is another stub i which is'adapted to be closed by a plug which is carried by the frame e and isin the form of a head provided with jointing means such as arubber ring it. A flexible supply pipe I is connected centrally of the header at m 7 r The frame e is periodically raised and lowered rectilinearly by a pair of cam actuated mechanisms 2, 3, each comprisinga pair of cams L'B fixed on a shaft G'and coasting with rollers 1, 8, carried'by levers i, 8 respectively pivoted to the frame of the machine at l 8 respectively, said levers being coupled at their outer ends to the frame e by rods Z. The conveyor chains 1) are driven intermittently by. a crank 9 which drives a motion wheel I0 fixed to the shaft It) of the front pair of conveyor chain sprockets l2. the crank pin engaging sequentially with'slots "1 in wheel IO. The supply to the header f is controlled by a valve I l operatively connected tothe machine for synchronous operation with the movement of the conveyor and header, so that the bottles are jetted for a certain period while the conveyor is at rest. The valve is accordingly operated by a driving motion plate l2 presenting rollers I2, I2 adapted to engage in known manner with slots in an intermittent motion wheel l3 fixedto the valve spindle. The drive of the machine is from a main driving shaft M which drives through worm gear l5 a shaft IS on which is fixed the crank arm 9. The shaft l6 drives through bevel gears ll, I! a shaft I8 which in turn drives through bevel gear IS a cross shaft which drives through similar bevel gears 20 the cam shaft 5. The motion plate I2 is driven by a chain 2| off a shaft 22 which is drivenby bevel gearing 23, 23, the bevel wheel 23 being on a shaft 25 carrying a bevel wheel 25 driven by bevel wheel ll. ,7

Thus the'frame e is periodically lifted by the 50v cam and lever mechanism 2, 3 to bring the dis-1 charge stubs g and plugs y into engagement with the complementary joint connections d, i on the tubes at each pause'in the travel of the conveyor, the latter being driven intermittently by the gear 9, l0. As soon as the fluid connection is made the supply to the header is turned on by valve I l the latter being timed accordingly, so that the bottles are jetted for a certain period while the conveyor is at rest. At the end of this period the supply is cut off by the valve, the frame e is allowed by the cam gear to drop and the conveyor is moved another step forward, the liquid in the tubes c draining off out of the ports 2' so that the tubes are flushed. As will be observed, the header is moved bodily rectilinearly to make and break fluid connection with the tubes as in the previous construction.

Referring to the construction shown in* Figs. 3 and 4, instead of the jointsbeing made on the underside of the tubes and the header and plugs lifted, the connection is made at the ends of the tubes the latter being accordingly open at both ends. The supply to the centre of the header f is by a flexible pipe m leading from a valve 3'3; The header f is provided with a series of horizontal discharge tubes n in alignment with acorresponding number of jet tubes c, said tubes n being provided at their extremities with a rubber or the like joint ring n andsuch tubes 12 are slidably mounted for rectilinear movement in glands o fixed to the side of the machine frame. The header has connected thereto at opposite ends one ,arm of a bell-crank p pivotally supported in brackets 0: attached to the side of the machine, and said bell-cranks are actuated by cams s on a. shaft 8 extending along the side. of the machine, these cams coacting. with the other arms of the bell cranks.

The tubes 11. are pushed into engagement with the ends of. the tubes c to. make joint therewith by means of springs t which bear against the ends of the header and are carried by spindles t supportedby brackets u fixed to the. side of the machine. The opposite ends of. the tubes 0 are controlled by plugs i -operated in a similar manner to the tubes 12, said plugs projecting laterally from. a bar 7' and. being slidably supported in glands 0 fixed to the sideof the frame of the machine. The plugsare urged to closing. position by springs t on rods 73 supported by brackets u The plugs are moved to open position by bellcranks p pivoted at q to brackets x, and operatedby cams on a shaft said. plugs being moved away from tubes 0 to open. position at the same time as the tubesn are moved away from the opposite endsof the. tubes 0. The operation is similar to that described in connection with the construction according to Figs. 1 and 2, the header being moved bodily rectilinearly to make and break fluid connection with the tubes 0. Immediately before each movement. of the conveyor chains the pair of cams s acting through bell-cranks :0 move the header away from the t'ubesc, against springs 15, and at the same time the plugs 7' are similarly moved by the cams s to open the opposite ends of the tubes. The conveyor then moves a step forward during which the tubes 0 drain, and at the end of such movement the cams s, s are turned further to release the bell cranks and the header is 'moved by its springs t inwards so that the tubes n make joint with the corresponding ends of the tubes 0, and the plugs are simultaneously moved by springs t to closing position. The water supply to pipe m is then turned on by the valve controlling the supply, so that the bottles are jetted. At the end of, the jetting period the cams s, s move the headerand member 7' outwards again, the valve 31 is closed and the operation is then repeated.

Referring to Fig. '7 showing the drive of the machine according to Figs. 3 and 4, the conveyor chains 12 are driven intermittently by mechanism similar to that shown in Fig. for driving the chains 12 in Fig. 5, a shaft carrying the front sprockets SI, of the conveyor chains 11 having fixed thereon a slotted motion wheel 32 driven by a crank 33 on a cross shaft 34 which is driven off a main driving'shaft 35' by a; worm 35 on the latter driving a worm wheel 4! on shaft 34. The cross shaft 34 drives the cam shafts s 8 each of the latter carrying a bevel wheel 38, driven by bevel wheels 39, 39 on said cross shaft. The valve 37 is similarly constructed and driven to thevalve H of Fig.5, the valve spindle #8 having fixed thereon a slotted motion wheel 41 driven by a roller platetZ presenting rollers 4-3 adapted to engage the slots in said wheel 4!, and said roller plate 42 being driven off one of the cam shafts s by a chain 44, the latter being carried by sprockets 45,. G6 on said shaft 5 and the roller plate shaft respectively. The valve 3? is shown open i. e. delivering to tubes c, and the plug 9' and. tubes 11. connecting withthe tubes 0.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure. by Letters Patent of the United States-is:-

l. A bottle washing machine comprising a conveyor, a series of. horizontal transverse jetting tubes carried by said conveyor, a series of jets presented by each of said jetting tubes, means for moving said conveyor intermittently to advance said tubes to jetting position, means on said conveyor for supporting a bottle over each jet, an inlet port in each of said tubes, a header rectilinearly reciprocable towardsand away from said tubes, a plurality of discharge ports in said header complementary to the inlet ports of a plurality of said tubes, means operative while the conveyor is stationary for reciprocating said header so that its discharge ports make and break fluid connection respectively with the tube inlet ports, a valve controlling delivery of iiuid to said header, and means operating synchronously with the reciprocation of said header for opening. and closing said. valve when fluid connection is made and broken respectively.

2.. A bottle washing machine comprising a conveyor, a series of horizontal transverse jetting tubes carried by saidconveyor, a series of jets presented by each of said jetting tubes, means for moving said conveyor intermittently to advance said tubes to jetting position, means on said conveyor for supporting a bottle over each jet, an inlet port in each of said tubes at one end of the latter, a header rectilinearly reciprocable horizontally towards and away from said ends of said tubes, a plurality of discharge ports in said header complementary to the inlet ports of a plurality of said tubes, means operative while the conveyor is stationary for reciprocating said header so that its discharge ports make and break fluid connection respectively with the tube inlet ports, a valve controlling delivery of fluid to said header, and means operating synchronously with the reciprocation of said header for opening and closing said valve when fluid connection is made and broken respectively.

3. A bottle washing machine comprising a conveyor, a series of horizontal transverse jetting tubes carried by said conveyor, a series of jets presented by each of said jetting tubes, means for moving said conveyor intermittently to advance said tubes to jetting position, means on said conveyor for supporting a bottle over each jet, an inlet port in the underside of each of said tubes, a header rectilinearly reciprocable for vertical movement towards and away from said tubes, a plurality of discharge ports in said header complementary to the inlet ports of a plurality of said tubes, means operative while the conveyor is stationary for raising and lowering said header so that its discharge ports make and break fluid connection respectively with the tube inlet ports, a valve controlling delivery of fluid to said header, and means operating synchronously with the reciprocation of said header for opening and closing said valve when fluid connection is made and broken respectively.

4. A bottle washing machine comprising a conveyor, a series of horizontal transverse jetting tubes carried by said conveyor, a series of jets presented by each of saidjetting tubes, means for moving said conveyor intermittently to advance said tubes to jetting position, means on said conveyor 'for supporting a bottle over each jet, an inlet port in each of said tubes, a discharge port in each of said tubes, plugs movable to open and close said tube discharge ports, a header rectilinearly reciprocable towards and away from said tubes, a plurality of discharge ports in said header complementary to the inlet ports of a plurality of said tubes, means operative while the conveyor is stationary for reciprocating said header so that its discharge ports make and break fluid connection respectively with the tube inlet ports, means formoving the said plugs so that they close and open the tube discharge ports on the making and breaking of the fluid connection of the header with the tubes, a valve controlling delivery of fluid to said header, and means operating synchronously with the reciprocation of said header for opening and closing moving said conveyor intermittently to advance said tubes to jetting position, means on said conveyor for supporting a bottle over each jet, an

inlet port in each of said tubes at one end of the latter, a discharge port at the opposite end of each of said tubes, plugs adapted to open and close said tube discharge ports, a header rectilinearly reciprocable horizontally towards and away from the ends of said tubes, a plurality of discharge ports in said header complementary to the inlet ports of a plurality of said tubes, means operative while the conveyor is stationary for reciprocating said header horizontally so that its discharge ports make and break fluid connection respectively with the tube inlet ports, means for moving said plugs so that they close and open the tube discharge ports on the making and breaking of the fluid connection of the header with the tubes, a valve controlling delivery of fluid to said header, and means operating synchronously with the reciprocation of said header for opening and closing said valve when fluid connection is made and broken respectively. j

6; A bottle washing machine comprising a conveyor, a series of horizontal transverse jetting tubes carried by said conveyor, a series of jets presented by each of said, jetting tubes, means for moving said conveyor intermittently to advance said tubes to jetting position, means on said conveyor for supporting a bottle over each jet, an inlet port in the underside of each of said tubes, a discharge port in the underside of each of said tubes, plugs movable to open and close said discharge ports, a header reetilinearly re- I ciprocable for vertical movement towards and away from said tubes, a plurality of discharge ports in said header complementary to the inlet ports of a plurality of said tubes, means operative while the conveyor is stationary for raising and lowering said header so that its discharge ports make and break fluidconnection respectively with the tube inlet ports, means for moving the said plugs so that they close and open the tube discharge ports on the making and breaking of the fluid connection of the header with the tubes, a valve controlling delivery of fluid to said header, and means operating synchronously with the reciprocation of said header jet,'an inlet port in each of said tubes, a header rectilinearly reciprocable towards and away from said tubes while the conveyor is stationary, a plurality of discharge ports in said header come plementary to the inlet ports of a plurality of said tubes, spring means adapted to move said header in one direction, cam gear adapted to move said header in the opposite direction, so that the discharge ports of said header make and break fluid connection respectively with the tube inlet ports, a valve controlling delivery or 4 fluid to said header, and means operating synchronously with the reciprocation of said header for opening and closing said valve when fluid connection is made and broken respectively.

8. A bottle washing machine comprising a conveyor, a series of horizontal transverse-jetting tubes carried by said conveyor, a series of jets presentediby each of said jetting tubes, means for moving said conveyor intermittently to ad-v vance said tubes to jetting position, means on said conveyor for supporting a bottle over each jet, an inlet port in the underside of each of said tubes, a discharge port in the underside of each of said tubes, a frame reciprocable for raising and lowering movement towardsand away from said tubes, a header mounted on said frame, a plurality of discharge ports in said header complementary to the inlet ports of a plurality of 7 opening and closing said valve when fluid connection is made and broken respectively.

- WALTER POWLEY. 

